176
and by fencing the landfill. The dust that collects in the house is a combination of
atmospheric dust and dust of human origin, which consists mainly of extinct skin
cells and fibres from clothes and blankets. It can be removed with a broom, cloth or
vacuum cleaner. Mites, organisms that are often found in carpet fibres and on
mattresses, use organic components of house dust for their diet. Landfill dust levels
can lead to dust hazard zones. “Monitoring” dust levels can identify dust endangered
areas. Certainly, successful airborne dust monitoring requires a good choice of
menu locations (Finlayson-Pitts and Pitts 1999).
6.5 Natural Archives of Distributed Dust
Attic dust is defined as dust that accumulates on wooden carpentry of attics, the
spaces in which the influence of inhabitants is minimized. Attic dust is derived predominantly from external sources through aerosol deposition and as a result of soil
dusting (Davis and Gulson 2005). There is a little influence from household activities (Šajn 2003). Its mineralogy includes phyllosilicates (montmorillonite and illite)
and calcite and dolomite in areas of outcropping carbonate rocks (Šajn 2000). The
deposition of attic dust seems to be continuous through time in undisturbed attics.
Its chemistry, therefore, reflects the average historical levels of the atmospheric pollution. In previous geochemical studies (Šajn 2002, 2003, 2005), the properties of
attic dust in Slovenia (regional-scale) were established. Attic dust was also successfully applied in tracing a plutonium halo, a result of atomic bomb experiments, in
Nevada (Cizdziell et al. 1998; Coronas et al. 2013). Close to each sampling location,
an old house with intact attic carpentry was chosen. Most of the selected houses
were at least 100 years old. To avoid collecting particles of tiles, wood and other
construction materials, the attic dust samples were brushed from parts of wooden
constructions that were not in immediate contact with roof tiles or floors.
The determination of historical emissions is based on the data of heavy metal
concentration in the attic dust from different measurement sites of the weight of
total monthly air deposit (Lioy et al. 2002; Jemec Auflič and Šajn 2007; Žibret and
Šajn 2008; Žibret 2008). The main idea behind determining past emissions is that
heavy metal characterization of deposited dust on a small area is multiplied by the
concentration of the elements in that area; the mass of the polluter which has been
transported to the place of interest by air can be determinate (Šajn 2006; Žibret
2008; Žibret and Šajn 2008). Undisturbed attic dust is potential archive for atmospherically deposited particles and has been shown to be effective across urban
areas and in the vicinity of smelters, mines and other potentially emission sources
(Cizdziell et al. 1998; Cizdziel and Hodge 2000; Šajn 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
2005, 2006; Alijagić 2008; Alijagić and Šajn 2011; Völgyesi et al. 2014; Angelovska
et al. 2016; Balabanova et al. 2019). Atmospheric emissions attributed to the extraction stage of mining come mainly from the action of wind on disturbed land and
stockpiles of ore and waste material. As a result of these processes, dust is permanently introduced in the atmosphere (Ilacqua et al. 2003). Usefulness of attic dust as
R. Šajn et al.
and by fencing the landfill. The dust that collects in the house is a combination of
atmospheric dust and dust of human origin, which consists mainly of extinct skin
cells and fibres from clothes and blankets. It can be removed with a broom, cloth or
vacuum cleaner. Mites, organisms that are often found in carpet fibres and on
mattresses, use organic components of house dust for their diet. Landfill dust levels
can lead to dust hazard zones. “Monitoring” dust levels can identify dust endangered
areas. Certainly, successful airborne dust monitoring requires a good choice of
menu locations (Finlayson-Pitts and Pitts 1999).
6.5 Natural Archives of Distributed Dust
Attic dust is defined as dust that accumulates on wooden carpentry of attics, the
spaces in which the influence of inhabitants is minimized. Attic dust is derived predominantly from external sources through aerosol deposition and as a result of soil
dusting (Davis and Gulson 2005). There is a little influence from household activities (Šajn 2003). Its mineralogy includes phyllosilicates (montmorillonite and illite)
and calcite and dolomite in areas of outcropping carbonate rocks (Šajn 2000). The
deposition of attic dust seems to be continuous through time in undisturbed attics.
Its chemistry, therefore, reflects the average historical levels of the atmospheric pollution. In previous geochemical studies (Šajn 2002, 2003, 2005), the properties of
attic dust in Slovenia (regional-scale) were established. Attic dust was also successfully applied in tracing a plutonium halo, a result of atomic bomb experiments, in
Nevada (Cizdziell et al. 1998; Coronas et al. 2013). Close to each sampling location,
an old house with intact attic carpentry was chosen. Most of the selected houses
were at least 100 years old. To avoid collecting particles of tiles, wood and other
construction materials, the attic dust samples were brushed from parts of wooden
constructions that were not in immediate contact with roof tiles or floors.
The determination of historical emissions is based on the data of heavy metal
concentration in the attic dust from different measurement sites of the weight of
total monthly air deposit (Lioy et al. 2002; Jemec Auflič and Šajn 2007; Žibret and
Šajn 2008; Žibret 2008). The main idea behind determining past emissions is that
heavy metal characterization of deposited dust on a small area is multiplied by the
concentration of the elements in that area; the mass of the polluter which has been
transported to the place of interest by air can be determinate (Šajn 2006; Žibret
2008; Žibret and Šajn 2008). Undisturbed attic dust is potential archive for atmospherically deposited particles and has been shown to be effective across urban
areas and in the vicinity of smelters, mines and other potentially emission sources
(Cizdziell et al. 1998; Cizdziel and Hodge 2000; Šajn 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
2005, 2006; Alijagić 2008; Alijagić and Šajn 2011; Völgyesi et al. 2014; Angelovska
et al. 2016; Balabanova et al. 2019). Atmospheric emissions attributed to the extraction stage of mining come mainly from the action of wind on disturbed land and
stockpiles of ore and waste material. As a result of these processes, dust is permanently introduced in the atmosphere (Ilacqua et al. 2003). Usefulness of attic dust as
R. Šajn et al.